A message to the insurance community: We are in this together!

The last several weeks I have felt as if I was standing on the shore of a remote beach watching a slow motion tsnumani approach. At a distance, for some time, I was not quite sure what I was watching. But as the wave grew closer I began to realize the size and scale of the event I was witnessing. In these unprecedented times, I have been comforted to know that I am not alone on that beach.

In fact, we're all on that beach watching together. This community is tight-knit and strong. Held together by bonds of friendship and memories that stretch across oceans and decades. It is one in which I am deeply grateful to claim membership. Now more than ever we need to be here to help each other.

Share you experience: Our personal and business lives are all being affected on multiple levels. Working from home has been a part of many people's lives for a long time, for others this is entirely knew. Perhaps someone suddenly has a house full of children who need to be kept busy. Or perhaps they are working from home with a spouse who sings ALL DAY (like mine). What a great time for those seasoned, salty work-from-home lifers to reach out to others around them and offer advice for staying sane. Check in on people. Share your battle stories. Share you helpful tips and tricks. Share random videos of your spouse singing in the kitchen while you're on a conference call.

Know when to turn if off: This is two fold:

1. You may find that working from home means never being able to disconnect. This will be compounded by minimized engagements and outings due to social distancing measures. Make a commitment to yourself about the hours you will work and the free time you will allow yourself. No one will set these boundaries for you. Block your calendar off to take a walk, eat lunch or meditate. Invite others to do the same thing. Pushing someone toward self care is the best kind of peer pressure.
2. Take a break from the headlines during the day. With the outside world at a distance, we will feel the need to stay even more on top of the news. The stories will keep on coming even if you take a breather. Things are changing rapidly. Tune into your coworkers as well. It will be very easy to start EVERY conversation with a 10 minute update on what's going on. Don't be afraid to change up the chatter and share a story about a book you're reading, project you're completing or the goofy thing your dog is doing with you home. We're all going to need a break from the viral noise.

Make time to catch up casually: Local, state and the federal government are issuing order after order, placing increasingly heavier restrictions on our movement and ability to gather. Our industries largest networking event was just cancelled. It has to be done but it doesn't mean we shouldn't stay in touch. It's hard to replace the impromptu drink at the hotel bar during a conference or the walking high-five with a long time competitor/friend before you enter the Expo hall. But we can still hang out with one another. Recreate those experiences with technology. Leverage video chat, webinar, LinkedIn and other tools to stay connected. Don't be afraid to just share a joke or say "hi". In times like these, not all meetings need agendas.

Lean into whatever you're feeling: We don't know what the long term impacts of this situation will be on our health, our families and friends, our businesses, or our industry. Smart people are working around the clock thinking through issues as they arise, but the sand is still shifting beneath our feet. If that makes you nervous, angry or upset that's perfectly human. It's OK to be uncomfortable and out of sorts with your new routine at home. It's even OK to see the time at home as an opportunity to bring your family close together in unprecedented ways. There are things to be scared of and there are silver linings to be had.

Call your friendly neighborhood reinsurance partner: This isn't a shameless sales pitch, I mean it. I've been at a direct carrier, a vendor and a reinsurance company. This is what we Re's are here to do. Sure, we have our own business continuity efforts going on. And yes, we are busy making sure our manuals are up to date, our research is current and we are getting ahead of the curve. But in general we spend our time thinking about your needs. The heart and soul of what we do is in service of our community and our customers. In uncertain times we are here more than ever.

So remember to wash you hands, avoid large gatherings and know that we are all in this together.

Can't wait to see you soon :)